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  1. #1 Protection against theft 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    I'm still on the edge on whether I should get a motorbike or not. The tipping point is how likely it will be stolen. I have had an electric scooter stolen with several locks bolted to a building. Are motorbikes stolen less due to their weight? I plan to park it in a garage and pay the attendant a little extra to watch over it. I know a lot of a value of an electric scooter comes from the battery. Are motorbikes prone to having people strip off easy to get parts?

    Yet, I feel at some point in the few years I will be in China that it will be stolen. This is an acceptable loss, but I want to know if I can still use my old plates. I know insurance doesn't cover a stolen bike, but if I can easily get another plate then it will lessen the damage to my pocket.
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  2. #2 Re: Protection against theft 
    C-Moto Guru Fred's Avatar
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    I'll second this question. I still hesitate over buying a Shanghai Hu A plate due to the money involved (RMB 43,000), and I would like to know what happens if the bike gets stolen, plate-wise ?
    I guess that, as you have the papers, you can reapply for the plates without too much fuss, but this is China, so...

    Anyone got info on this ? Help or advices would be much appreciated.
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  3. #3 Re: Protection against theft 
    Senior C-Moto Guru euphonius's Avatar
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    I would not own a bike in a big Chinese city if I did not have a safe place to park, but what's the definition of safe? I park in an underground garage inside a gated compound. This is of course not foolproof, but it's the bare minimum. The Jialing has an anti-theft system, so the ignition cannot be merely jimmied, and a thief would have to remove the disc lock from my front brake, and either push it up and out of the garage, past guards who (ostensibly) know it's mine, or at least get it out of the garage to a place where they could load it onto a truck.

    But I've also considered renting storage space somewhere -- perhaps a guarded workshop -- even though this would make it less convenient to have.

    As for the plates, I'm told that in Shanghai the plate is replaceable if you have a police report confirming the theft, though someone posted somewhere in this forum recently that this may no longer be the case.

    So there really are no guarantees, and you really need to consider carefully whether your specific circumstances warrant the risks.

    Brian, are you in China now? What city? How about updating your profile to show this?

    good luck to you both, and hope to be riding with you soon, should you decide to take the plunge.

    cheers
    jkp
    Shanghai
    2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
    2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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  4. #4 Re: Protection against theft 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    From my understanding and personal experience is that the bikes are normally thrown in the back of a van right away. The bike may then be taken to a secure location where time is on the thieves' side. I use to park my scooter in an underground garage, but one night I missed the midnight gate closing. Sure enough, at 12:10am a gray van drove slowly around looking at the bike racks with a flashlight. It did not appear he was lost or delivering a package. Luckily, some others and I were able to get the attendant to open the gate.

    I am currently living in Beijing and looking to get a JingA plate. I am interested in how a theft report is done in Beijing. Is it as simple as showing some paperwork and an empty parking space?

    Thanks for the advice!
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  5. #5 Re: Protection against theft 
    C-Moto Guru Fred's Avatar
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    I would be parking the bike in an underground parking lot in my building, but there's only a (sleeping) guard at the exit. I guess the bike would be difficult enough to steal with :
    - disk lock
    - underground parking
    - need to push the bike in front of the guard and up the steep ramp as a van would never be allowed in the underground parking (gate with access card)

    The guards know me well and my bicycle with compressed air 115db horn ;-)), and I have good relations with them, it can help too.
    Do you guys have successful experience in "bribing" the parking lot guard to make sure nothing happens ? ;-))
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  6. #6 Re: Protection against theft 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    Bribe seems like such a dirty word. I think it is more commonly referred to as 送礼 or just a nice gift. I can't imagine a gift actually hurting, but I would only pay on a monthly basis in case your bike disappears after giving 6 months up front.

    My friend asked an attendant if he could park his motorbike on campus, but she said only bicycles were allowed in underground parking. After he offered her 100 kuai a month she had no problem. If they are only making just over 1000 kuai a month then imagine an incentive of 10% your pay would do. Yet, I might be a little hesitant that the bike might go missing due to the rule of no motor bikes.
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  7. #7 Re: Protection against theft 
    Banned
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    G'Day,

    ABUS chain / lock and LUMA wall anchor in the locked garage and some electronic devices installed on the bike and in the garage.........
    Attached Images
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  8. #8 Re: Protection against theft 
    C-Moto Guru
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    You have that in your home garage?!
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  9. #9 Re: Protection against theft 
    Duct tape savant felix's Avatar
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    Nice. Now you just need to get an angle grinder and round off the bolts on the front axle of that beautiful multistrada to be sure you don't walk into your garage one day and find just a front wheel locked to the wall!
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  10. #10 Re: Protection against theft 
    Senior C-Moto Guru euphonius's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by felix View Post
    Nice. Now you just need to get an angle grinder and round off the bolts on the front axle of that beautiful multistrada to be sure you don't walk into your garage one day and find just a front wheel locked to the wall!

    Then again, that same angle grinder works for crime too. Anyone can go onto Taobao.com and for as little as 75 RMB buy an angle grinder (or just steal one somewhere) that presumably would cut through the chain or the anchor in about 20 seconds.

    T1w8KiXnxdXXb7Aq39_102446.jpg

    A portable rechargeable model can be had for 485.

    T18xGgXetxXXbhvx6X_115454.jpg

    In California I bought -- for $19, disk included -- a (Chinese-made) angle grinder that cut a new chain for my KLR in about five seconds. The tools of crime are cheap in China, too.

    I do like TB's idea though, and will ask my building management if I can install one of those anchors, which surely is at least case hardened, etc....

    jkp
    Shanghai
    2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
    2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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